The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Reloading Mixing different lots, same powderGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| Mixing different lots, same powder | Login/Join |
| one of us |
Anybody know if there's danger here?? I'm thinking (hoping) to lower the effects of slightly different burn rate/characteristics-- in effect producing 2 lbs. of "same lot" powder. Steve | ||
|
One of Us |
I do it quite often. As long as you stick with the same powder you will never see any difference. The burn rates can vary by lot but it wont be much. If it cant be Grown it has to be Mined! Devoted member of Newmont mining company Underground Mine rescue team. Carlin East,Deep Star ,Leeville,Deep Post ,Chukar and now Exodus Where next? Pete Bajo to train newbies on long hole stoping and proper blasting techniques. Back to Exodus mine again learning teaching and operating autonomous loaders in the underground. Bringing everyday life to most individuals 8' at a time! | |||
|
one of us |
Way back when...leaded gasoline was available, and low-lead and unleaded were first coming on the market, us street racers had a trick... We would nearly fill the tank with high octane leaded, and top it off with unleaded. The result was a gas mixture that was more "potent" than either. But we didn't know what it was, and could never duplicate it. If you mix two different lot numbers of powder together, you have no idea what the final product is, and what are the chances of finding the exact same two lots when you want to mix your next batch? Now, if you were to mix two 8-pounders of one batch with two 8-pounders of a different batch, you would have 32 pounds of a powder of which you weren't sure of the burning rate, but...you would have 32 pounds of it, and that could last awhile. But it would be much simpler to just buy 4 8-pounders of the same lot number? | |||
|
| One of Us |
Well said If it cant be Grown it has to be Mined! Devoted member of Newmont mining company Underground Mine rescue team. Carlin East,Deep Star ,Leeville,Deep Post ,Chukar and now Exodus Where next? Pete Bajo to train newbies on long hole stoping and proper blasting techniques. Back to Exodus mine again learning teaching and operating autonomous loaders in the underground. Bringing everyday life to most individuals 8' at a time! | |||
|
one of us |
I will top of a new 1# jug w/ left overs from another. I have seen no ill effects over the chronograph. LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT! | |||
|
| one of us |
The flip side to this is if you have *one* pound of "good" powder, and use it up, what are your chances of finding more of the same lot number later? About the same as finding the stuff you mixed, so what's the difference? And you will have one "new" lot that will last twice as long as opposed to single pounds bought at different times anyway. I can't completely follow your gas analogy. What "lot number" of gas were you using? You had NO control there. At least with powder, you can track a lot number, not so at the gas pump.... I see no problem with mixing, as long as you stay with the "same" powder. (i.e. Varget, IMR 4350, etc). No "home brews" allowed!  | |||
|
| one of us |
Steve Benchrest shooters routinely blend leftover powders. I've even blended 3 or 4 different lots together. As long as you know what you're doing and drop your initial loads back a little there is no danger. We have also blended different powders to get a desired burning rate. For example, VV N130 and VV N133 to get N131 1/2. I wouldn't try to blend Unique and H4831 or something like that but using a little common sense it's possible to salvage small amounts of powder that would otherwise go to waste. A while back there was a thread on here where some guy accidently mixed about 300 grains of a medium burning powder with 8 pounds of a slow burner. From the responses you would have thought he mixed in some nitro. Some guys even predicted he would blow up his rifle and himself. I've been handloading for almost 60 years now. I am always amazed at some of the newcomers and their alarmist attitides. I guess there are a lot more girly men out there than I thought. And Steve, I too don't get your gasoline story. It doesn't make sense. Could it be you just thought it was hotter? After all, the refineries blend gasoline all the time. If is was possible to mix regular and super to get a super duper I think they would be doing it. JMHO Ray Arizona Mountains | |||
|
| one of us |
I really can't believe that all these people who measure cases, seating depths, primer pockets and bullets to the picometer, and weigh their powder charges to the 5th decimal point are proclaiming that there is no harm in mixing powders. As for the gasoline analogy, back in th '60's and 70's, when we started doing this one of the car magazines picked-up on it (and back then car magazines WERE car magazines, the same as gun magazines WERE gun magazines). They did some blending of their own, using Sunoco 260 and Exxon Gold as the base leaded gasoline, and mixed different proportions with Exxon low lead. They found (and I don't remember the details) that the blended gasoline had a higher "power rating" than either the Sunoco 260 or Exxon Gold. I believe they decided that a ratio of 3:1 (leaded to low lead) was the ideal mixture. | |||
|
| one of us |
I've been reloading for nearly 30 years (I don't load to primer popping max) and have never seen the need to allow for different powder lot numbers. Boring, I know, but I have loads that produce superb accuracy in my 223 and 270, (and before that, 6mm Rem and 25-06), and have never seen any difference in accuracy or 'pressure signs' - then again, I do use ADI (Australian manufactured) powders. I just buy it and use it... Jeez, if I had to stuff around with it, I'd never go hunting! ******************************** A gun is a tool. A moron is a moron. A moron with a hammer who busts something is still just a moron, it's not a hammer problem. Daniel77 | |||
|
| one of us |
So blending gasoline is OK?? Do racers still do this? NASCAR? Is there "harm" in this?? How many of them have died as the result? C'mon Steve, live dangerously. Ride your ten-speed without a helmet. Smoke a cigar. Drop a stick of dynamite down a gopher hole just to see what will happen. Blend some rifle powder. Ray Arizona Mountains | |||
|
| one of us |
It's been some time since I followed NASCAR, USAC, SCCA, F1 or any racing. However, I do believe that the organization controls the fuel used, and there can be no variation from it. I don't own a bicycle, I prefeer my Bronco. I don't do cigars, but do 3 packs of cigarettes a day. And as for ground critters, my dynamite comes in a strange form...52 grains in weight, and made of cupro-nickle instead of TNT. As for the "harm" I see...it really isn't what I see, it's what I don't see...the unknown. As for factories blending powders, sure they do, and when Joe Average Reloader starts storing 17 tons of the same powder, he can blend it also. "Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog." | |||
|
| one of us |
Alright-- thks. for all your replys here. I've got 2 cans of 3 yr. old 760 that i intend to combine and see if it affects the ES for a temporary load, or maybe i'll develop a load with 1 and see if the other gives similar velocity/ES. It's gonna be for a project i'm doing that's not gonna last long. Steve | |||
|
| Powered by Social Strata |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Reloading Mixing different lots, same powder
Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia